Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1923)

1234 Motion Picture News Like "Bright Lights of Broadway" Principal Pictures Production Scores Success at Indianapolis Opening Present Mayor with Whaling Harpoons MILTON CRANDALL, in a letter to Colonel S p r a g u e , Commissioner of Public Works of Chicago, expressed his desire to present Mayor William E. Dever with the original harpoons used aboard the whaling vessel Charles W. Morgan during the filming of "Down to the Sea in Ships." In appreciation of the offer, Mayor Dever invited Mr. Crandall and a party of friends to his offices, where the presentation was made. Mr. Crandall, who is the Advertising and Exploitation Manager of the Hodkinson outfit at Chicago, has been doing some exceptional work in connection with this superpicture. Mammoth Closes Deal with Marcus Negotiations between Victor B. Fisher, general manager of the Mammoth Pictures Corporation, and Gene Marcus of the Twentieth Century Exchange organization of Philadelphia were brought to a successful conclusion last week. Mr. Marcus' concern signed up the entire output of Mammoth producing companies. The first production on the Mammoth list is "Enemies of Children" prints of which will be shipped to the Twentieth Century office as soon as laboratory work is completed in New York. "Wild Oranges" Company Back From Georgia King Vidor and his " Wild Oranges" company are expected to return to the Goldwyn studios next week after their location trip to the dangerous swamplands of Georgia, where the entire picture was made. Those in the cast are James Kirkwood. Virginia Valli, Ford Sterling, Buddy Post and Nigel de Brulier. ACCORDING to reports emainating from Indianapolis the Bennie Ziedman production, "Bright Lights of Broadway" for Principal Pictures Corporation has scored a success at the Circle theatre. Irving M. Lesser, General Manager of Distribution has been advised that the capacity audience on opening night greeted the production enthusiastically. It also met with much commendation from the newspaper reviewers. The critic on the Indianapolis Star says in part, "Doris Kenyon, as the simple country girl lured to the big city in quest of a career, is one of the most refreshing personalities on the silversheet. Opposite her have been cast Kenneth Harlan as the minister-sweetheart ANEW angle of co-operative mercantile advertising recently developed by the Warner Brothers will be a great exploitation medium for all exhibitors who have contracted for "The Primer's Devil," " George Washington, Jr.," and others of the series of Warner features. Each manufacturer who has entered the tie-up is furnished with play dates in the different towns where his dealers are located. On the Wesley Barry series of Warner productions, the exhibitor is said to have more than 100,000 window displays waiting for him to help exploit his picture. These tie-ups call for appropriate photographs, life-sized cut-outs ot the star and interesting lay-outs ot Wesley Barry using or applying one »i the selected kinds of merchandise arranged for. The Harlowe & Luther Drug Co., on the corner of Broadway and 46th street, New York, is at the present time using who stays at home and Lowell Sherman as the theatrical producer who gives Irene her chance and insists that she take one. Both are fine." The News reviewer says in part in the Monday issue, "It has thrills aplenty and will provide entertainment that will be exciting enough for summer audiences. Doris Kenyon, as Irene Marley, does famously." "Bright Lights of Broadway" was directed by Webster Campbell, and is one of the latest group of five to be offered by Principal Pictures Corporation, the others being "Temporary Marriage" "East Side, West Side," "The Spider and The Rose," and "Gold Madness." such a display, tied-up with the Ingersoll Redipoint Pencil Co. This tie-up calls for window displays with 22,000 dealers handling the Ingersoll merchandise, and in all displays, Wesley Barry is shown, either in a life-sized figure or else in a special lay-out display. Many other important tie-ups have been arranged for which will be of great benefit to the exhibitor who has contracted for the Warner Classics starring Wesley Barry. Among these manufacturers are the Van Houton Cocoa Co., Ben Weiner Clothing Co., Walter Janvier Drug Co., U. S. Rubber Co., tving up with Keds. Pittsburgh Water Heater Co., F. A. D. A. Radio Sets, Hohner Harmonicas, and the Westinghouse Electric Co. Each manufacturer has arranged to do his share in the tie-up by using many columns of advertising space in newspapers and in his own advertising mediums. Buster Keaton to Discard Pancake Hat BUSTER K E A T O N'S famous pancake hat will not be so much in evidence in his next two Metro releases. In " Three Ages " the humorous lid is worn by Buster only about one-third of the time and in " Hospitality," his second featurelength comedy to follow, he will wear it even less. " Three Ages," presented by Joseph M. Schenck, was directed by Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline. Story and titles were supplied by Jean Havez, Joe Mitchell and Clyde Bruckman. "Broken Wing" Praised in St. Louis " The Broken Wing," the first of the new season's group of fifteen Preferred Pictures, had its world premiere in St. Louis on August 19th, playing simultaneously at three leading houses, the West End, Lyric and Capitol. All of the St. Louis papers were lavish in their praise of the picture. The Star said : " This is one of the most entertaining films shown ir. St. Louis in recent months." The Globe-Democrat : " Likeable players and an excellent vehicle." Post-Dispatch : " Kenneth Harlan, Miriam Cooper, Walter Long and Miss duPont give a lively interpretation of this melodrama of aviation and the southwest, which has the laughs and the thrills evenly divided." Rapid Progress Made on " Day of Faith " With arc lights flashing at night, and an enlarged battery of cameras clicking by day. Tod Browning's Goldwyn unit filming Arthur Somers Roche's dramatic story, " The Day of Faith," is making exceptional progress. The night scenes which have been taken on the New York street at the Culver City plant have been calling for from five to six hundred extras every night. Eleanor Boardman, Wallace MacDonald and Ford Sterling are the three unlucky members of the large cast who have been called upon to work night and day. Ford Buys "Down to Sea in Ships" for Europe Harrison Ford of Paris and London has purchased' the rights to "Down to the Sea in Ships" for distribution in Europe. He is planning extensive exploitation and advertising campaigns on the feature. In New Bedford, Mass., where most of the photoplay was filmed he secured an old three-masted whaling boat and over three thousand implements used in the whating industry. These have been turned over to the city of Paris for exhibit purposes, according to Mr. Ford. They will be loaned to London to be exhibited in the Thames while the picture is being shown in London. Press Sheet Issued For " Strangers of Night " Press sheets for the Niblo production, " Strangers of the Night," a Metro-Louis B. Mayer attraction, have just come off the press, and cover thoroughly every angle of publicity, exploitation and advertising on the screen version of Walter Hackett's famous stage play, " Captain Applejack." The front cover, suitable for a lobby or window card is done in two colors and shows a striking pose of Enid Bennett as a pirate. Several pages are devoted to exploitation, many original and novel stunts being described such as the guessing contest, the treasure hunt idea and the tagging stranger stunt. Then there are tie-ups, novelty pirate hats, cartoons, card tricks and a hundred and one other suggestions that should prove of untold value to the exhibitor. Each idea is fully and carefully outlined so that it can be put over with the least possible outlay of time and Mammoth Announces First Release Prints of " Enemies of Children " Are Received at Concern's N. Y. Offices VICTOR B. FISHER, general manager of the Mammoth Pictures Corporation, has issued an announcement to the effect that the first release of his concern will be " Enemies of Children." This picture, which is based upon George Gibbs' novel, "Youth Triumphant," was finished last week at the Coast studios of the Fisher Productions, Inc., and prints and negatives were rushed to New York. Heading the cast are little Virginia Lee Corbin and Anna Q. Nilsson. Virginia Lee Corbin will be remembered as having been the star of William Fox's series of children pictures, among which were "Jack and the Beanstalk" and " Treasure Island." Raymond Hatton, George Seigman and Eugenie Besserer are cast for im portant roles. Joseph Dowling, who created the title role in the "Miracle Man," is also prominent in the cast. Ward Crane, William Boyd, Kate Price, Lucy Beaumont, Mary Anderson, Boyd Irwin and Claire McDowell are seen in parts for which they are said to be eminently suited. " Enemies of Children " was directed by Lillian Ducey, under the supervision of Victor B. Fisher. The plans of the Mammoth Pictures Corporation is one of distribution of its product upon the franchise basis. " The details of this plan have been worked out," says Mr. Fisher, " upon a basis which will assure a business profit to all franchise holders and at the same time will bring regular substantial returns to his producers." Warners Effect Tieups on Features Mercantile Advertising Developed for Exploiting Wesley Barry Pictures